Switching On a Computer Safely

What is a computer?

A computer is a machine that helps us do many things. We can type words, draw pictures, play games, watch videos and learn.

Some computers sit on a desk. These are desktop computers. Some computers fold up and can be carried. These are laptops. Phones and tablets are small computers too.

In this book we will learn how to switch a computer on, use the mouse, and switch it off the right way. We will also learn how to look after it.

Try this: Have you seen a computer before? Where was it?

The parts of a computer

A desktop computer has four main parts:

1. The monitor — the screen. It shows you pictures and words.
2. The system unit — the box. It is the brain of the computer. All the thinking happens here.
3. The keyboard — the board with letters and numbers. You press the keys to type.
4. The mouse — the small thing you move with your hand. It helps you point and click.

A laptop has all of these in one piece.

Try this: Point to the monitor. Point to the keyboard. Point to the mouse.

Computers need electricity

A computer needs electricity to work. It is like a radio or a fan.

The computer has a cable (a wire). The cable goes into a socket on the wall. Electricity comes through the cable into the computer.

A laptop has a battery inside. It can work for a while without the cable. But the battery must be charged by plugging it in.

If the lights go off (dumsor!), a desktop computer stops at once. A laptop keeps going on its battery.

Try this: Can you see the cable and the socket in your computer room?

Safety first: plugs and sockets

Electricity is useful, but it can hurt you. Follow these rules:

• Never put your fingers or anything else into a socket.
• Never touch a plug or socket with wet hands.
• Never pull a cable to take out a plug. Hold the plug itself.
• Do not play with cables or step on them.
• If a cable is broken or you see sparks, tell an adult at once.

In Basic 1, an adult should plug in and unplug the computer. You can watch and learn.

Try this: Say the rules again with a friend. Which one do you think is most important?

Find the power button

The power button switches the computer on. It has a special sign on it: a circle with a line at the top.

On a desktop, the power button is on the system unit — the box. It is often on the front, sometimes on the top.

On a laptop, the power button is usually above the keyboard, in a corner.

The monitor has its own small power button too, often at the bottom edge.

Try this: Look for the power sign on the computer. Can you find it on the system unit? Can you find it on the monitor?

Switching on: step by step

Ama is going to switch on the computer. Watch what she does.

1. She checks that her hands are dry.
2. She checks that the computer is plugged in (an adult did this).
3. She presses the power button on the system unit once. She does not hold it down.
4. A small light comes on. She hears a soft hum.
5. She presses the monitor's power button if the screen is dark.
6. She waits. The computer takes a little time to wake up.

Try this: Say the steps in order. What does Ama check before she presses the button?

Press once, then wait

This is important: press the power button once, then wait.

If you press it again and again, the computer gets confused. It may switch off before it has finished switching on.

While it is waking up, the screen may show:

• a black screen with small words
• a logo (a picture or a name)
• a spinning circle or dots

This is normal. The computer is getting ready. Be patient. It may take one or two minutes.

Try this: Count slowly to sixty while the computer wakes up. Did it finish before you reached sixty?

Logging in

Sometimes the computer asks "Who are you?" before it lets you in. This is called logging in.

You may see:

• a picture and a name — click your name
• a box for a password — type the secret word and press Enter

A password is a secret. Do not tell it to your friends. Your teacher will tell you the password for the school computer, or log in for you.

If the computer does not ask for a password, it goes straight to the desktop.

Try this: Does your school computer ask for a password? Who knows it?

The desktop

When the computer is ready, you see the desktop.

The desktop is the first screen. It is like the top of a real desk. On it you will see:

• a picture in the background (the wallpaper)
• small pictures called icons — each one opens something
• a bar at the bottom or side called the taskbar
• a small arrow that moves when you move the mouse — the pointer (or cursor)

The desktop is where everything starts.

Try this: Look at the desktop. How many icons can you count? What is the wallpaper picture?

Icons

Icons are the small pictures on the desktop. Each icon opens a different thing.

• A folder icon opens a place where files are kept.
• A paint icon opens a drawing program.
• A letter icon opens a program for typing.
• A globe icon opens the internet (only with an adult).
• A bin icon is where deleted things go.

Icons are like doors. You open the door with the mouse.

Try this: Point at an icon on your desktop. Can you guess what it opens from the picture?

Holding the mouse

The mouse is how you point at things on the screen.

Here is how to hold it:

• Put your hand gently on top. Do not squeeze it.
• Your first finger (index finger) rests on the left button.
• Your middle finger rests on the right button.
• Your thumb and other fingers hold the sides.
• Keep the mouse flat on the desk or mouse pad.

Now slide the mouse slowly. Watch the pointer on the screen. It moves the same way!

Try this: Move the mouse left. Move it right. Move it in a circle. Watch the pointer.

Moving the pointer

The pointer is the little arrow on the screen. It goes where the mouse goes.

If the mouse reaches the edge of the desk, lift it up, put it back in the middle, and carry on. The pointer stays where it was.

Move slowly at first. Fast moving makes the pointer jump about.

Try this: Move the pointer to each corner of the screen:

• top left
• top right
• bottom left
• bottom right

Then bring it to the middle. Now point at an icon and stop on it.

Left click

A click is a quick press on a mouse button. Press and let go — do not hold.

The left button is the one you use most. Press it with your first finger.

One left click (a single click) chooses something. If you click on an icon, it goes a different colour. That means it is chosen.

Try this:

1. Move the pointer onto an icon.
2. Click the left button once.
3. Does the icon change colour? You chose it!
4. Click on an empty part of the desktop. The icon goes back to normal.

Double click

A double click is two quick left clicks: click-click. It must be fast, like a knock on a door.

A double click opens something. Double-click an icon and its program or folder opens up in a window.

If you click too slowly, nothing happens. Try again, faster.

Try this:

1. Point at a folder icon.
2. Click twice quickly: click-click.
3. Did a window open? Well done!

Kofi says: "Click-click, open quick!"

Right click

The right button is for the middle finger.

A right click does not open anything. It shows a small list of choices, called a menu. The list pops up next to the pointer.

You will use right click more when you are older. For now, if a list pops up and you did not want it, just click somewhere else with the left button and it goes away.

Try this: Right-click on the desktop. Look at the list. Now left-click on an empty space to close it.

The scroll wheel

Many mice have a small wheel between the two buttons. This is the scroll wheel.

When a page is too long to see all at once, roll the wheel with your finger:

• Roll down (towards you) to see the bottom of the page.
• Roll up (away from you) to go back to the top.

It is like moving a long cloth up and down to see all of it.

Try this: Open something with lots of words or pictures. Roll the wheel slowly. Watch the page move.

Windows

When you open a program, it appears in a box on the screen called a window.

At the top right of most windows there are three small buttons:

• — (minimise) hides the window on the taskbar. It is still open.
• ▢ (maximise) makes the window fill the whole screen.
• ✕ (close) shuts the window.

Click the ✕ when you have finished with a program.

Try this: Open a folder by double-clicking. Click ▢ to make it big. Click — to hide it. Find it on the taskbar and click it to bring it back. Click ✕ to close it.

The keyboard

The keyboard has many keys. You press a key to type a letter or number.

Important keys:

• Letter keys A to Z.
• Number keys 0 to 9 along the top.
• Space bar — the long key at the bottom. It makes a space.
• Enter — the big key on the right. It starts a new line or says "yes".
• Backspace — rubs out the last letter you typed.

Press keys gently with one finger. Do not bang them.

Try this: Find the letter of your name on the keyboard. Find the space bar. Find Enter.

Typing your name

Abena opens a typing program. She wants to type her name.

1. She finds the letter A and presses it once.
2. She finds B and presses it.
3. Then E, N, A.
4. The screen shows: abena.

To make a capital letter, hold Shift and press the letter.

If she makes a mistake, she presses Backspace to rub out the last letter.

Try this: Type your name. Then press the space bar and type your friend's name. Press Backspace to rub out one letter. Type it again.

Closing your work

Before you switch off, you must close what you opened.

1. If you typed or drew something you want to keep, ask the teacher to help you save it.
2. Click the ✕ at the top right of each window.
3. If the computer asks "Do you want to save?", ask the teacher what to click.
4. When all the windows are closed, you can see the desktop again.

Never switch off while a window is still open. You might lose your work!

Try this: Count the open windows on the taskbar. Close them one by one. Is the desktop clear?

Shutting down: the right way

We do not switch off a computer by pressing the power button or pulling the plug. That can damage it. Instead, we shut down.

Here is how Kwame shuts down:

1. He closes all the windows.
2. He clicks the Start button at the bottom left of the taskbar.
3. He clicks the power sign in the menu.
4. He clicks Shut down.
5. He waits. The screen goes dark and the light goes off.
6. Then he switches off the monitor.

Try this: Say the six steps in order. Which step comes first?

Why we shut down properly

The computer is doing many jobs inside the box, even when the screen looks quiet.

When you click Shut down, the computer:

• finishes its jobs
• puts everything away neatly
• then switches itself off

If you pull the plug or hold the power button, it is like someone grabbing your exercise book while you are still writing. Things get spoiled. Files may be lost. The computer may not start well next time.

Try this: Tell a friend in your own words why we click Shut down instead of pulling the plug.

Sleep and restart

In the shut-down menu you may see other words:

• Sleep — the computer rests but does not switch off fully. Touch a key or the mouse to wake it up. Use this if you are coming back soon.
• Restart — the computer switches off and then on again by itself. The teacher may use this if something is not working.
• Shut down — switches off fully. Use this at the end of the day.

At the end of a lesson, we usually choose Shut down.

Try this: Which one would you choose if you are going for break and coming back in ten minutes?

Switching off the monitor and the socket

After the computer has shut down:

1. Press the monitor's power button. Its light goes off.
2. An adult switches off the wall socket or the extension board.
3. If you are using a laptop, close the lid gently.

Switching off at the socket saves electricity. It also keeps the computer safe if there is lightning or a power surge.

Remember: children do not touch sockets. Ask an adult.

Try this: Who switches off the socket in your computer room?

Keep the computer clean

A computer does not like dust, dirt or water.

• Do not eat or drink near the computer. Crumbs get into the keyboard. Water can destroy the system unit.
• Wash and dry your hands before you touch the keyboard and mouse.
• Do not touch the screen with your fingers. Fingerprints make it hard to see.
• Cover the computer with a cloth when it is not in use, to keep dust off.

Ama always washes her hands before computer lessons. Her keyboard is clean!

Try this: Look at your keyboard. Is it clean? Are your hands clean?

Handle with care

A computer can break if you are rough with it.

• Do not bang the keys.
• Do not drop the mouse or swing it by its cable.
• Do not push the monitor or lean on it.
• Do not pull the cables.
• Carry a laptop with two hands, with the lid closed.
• Do not put heavy things on top of a laptop.

Computers cost a lot of money. If we care for the school computer, many children can use it for many years.

Try this: Show a friend how to carry a laptop safely, using two hands.

Sitting properly

Sit well when you use a computer. It keeps your body comfortable.

• Sit up straight with your back against the chair.
• Keep your feet flat on the floor.
• The screen should be in front of your eyes, not too high or too low.
• Keep the screen about an arm's length away. Do not put your face close to it.
• Rest your eyes. Look away from the screen and out of the window every few minutes.

Do not use the computer for too long. Twenty or thirty minutes is enough for a lesson.

Try this: Stretch your arm. Is the screen about that far away?

Taking turns

Many schools have only a few computers. So we share.

• Wait for your turn quietly.
• When it is your turn, use the time well.
• When your time is finished, let the next person sit down. Do not argue.
• Do not push or lean over a friend who is using the computer.
• If you are watching, you can help by reading the screen or saying what to click.

Kofi and Abena share one computer. Kofi uses the mouse first. After ten minutes, they swap. Everyone is happy.

Try this: How many children share one computer in your school? How do you share?

When something goes wrong

Sometimes the computer does not do what you expect. Do not panic, and do not press lots of buttons.

• The screen is black? Check if the monitor is switched on.
• The pointer does not move? Check that the mouse cable is in. Lift the mouse and put it down again.
• A strange box pops up? Do not click anything. Call the teacher.
• The computer is stuck? Wait a little. If it is still stuck, call the teacher.

Always tell an adult. Never try to open the box or pull the cables yourself.

Try this: Who do you call if the computer does something strange?

Safe on the computer

Some computers connect to the internet. The internet has many good things, but also some things that are not for children.

• Only use the internet with a teacher or parent.
• Do not type your name, your school or your home address into a website.
• Do not talk to strangers on the computer.
• If you see something that makes you feel bad or scared, turn the screen away and tell an adult at once.

A computer is a tool. We use it carefully, like we use a knife or a fire.

Try this: Name one person you would tell if something on the screen worried you.

Ama's computer day

Let us read how Ama uses the computer at school.

Ama washes her hands. The teacher has plugged in the computer. Ama presses the power button once and waits. The desktop appears. She holds the mouse gently and double-clicks the paint icon. She draws a mango tree. The teacher helps her save it. Ama clicks ✕ to close the window. She clicks Start, then the power sign, then Shut down. The screen goes dark. She switches off the monitor. The teacher switches off the socket.

Try this: Count the steps Ama did. Did she miss anything?

What we have learnt

Well done! You can now:

• Name the parts of a computer: monitor, system unit, keyboard, mouse.
• Keep safe near plugs and sockets.
• Find the power button and switch on with one press.
• Know what the desktop, icons and pointer are.
• Hold the mouse and do a left click, double click and right click.
• Close windows and shut down the right way.
• Keep the computer clean and handle it with care.
• Sit properly, take turns and tell an adult when something is wrong.

Computers are fun when we use them safely!

Learn more

• GCFGlobal: Computer Basics — free, simple lessons on the parts of a computer and how to use them
• Khan Academy Kids — a free learning app that children can use on a computer or tablet
• Code.org — games and puzzles for the day you are ready to tell a computer what to do
• Power symbol on Wikipedia — where the circle-and-line sign comes from
• NaCCA — Ghana's curriculum body, where the Basic 1 computing standards come from

Watch more

Think about it

1. What should you check before you press the power button?
2. Why do we press the power button only once?
3. What is the difference between one click and a double click?
4. Why is it bad to pull the plug to switch off the computer?
5. What three things should you never do near a computer?
6. Who should you tell if the computer does something strange?